This invention relates generally to centrifuges for separating constituents of a liquid mixture and more specifically relates to a centrifuge rotor which provides for the trapping of separated constituents from the liquid mixture and automatically isolating them in a sealed chamber to prevent possible remixing with the remainder of the liquid mixture subsequent to the centrifuge operation.
By exposing certain fluid mixtures to very high speeds of rotation in a centrifuge it is possible to separate out various constituents of the mixture. An incident problem with the centrifugation operation relates to the possible remixing of the various separated constituents during the time that the rotor is decelerating to a complete stop from its high rotational speed. Consequently, various arrangements have been devised such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,239,136 and 3,096,283 issued to George N. Hein for sealing the separated fluid constituents in an annular chamber.
As shown in the above referenced patents, the arrangements utilized to accomplish the sealing function are quite complicated and contribute to a more costly device. Further, the prior art arrangements do not operate automatically in response to the centrifugation operation to provide for both the automatic sealing and unsealing of the annular chamber. These devices require an operation independent of the centrifugation operation to seal and/or unseal the annular chamber.